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Mitsuru Kuroiwa
is a character in the Yakuza series; he appears as a major character and the primary antagonist of Judgment. Kuroiwa is a renewed detective in the Tokyo Metropolitan Police Department under its Organized Crime division, known for his professionalism and efficiency. By 2018, he is the chief investigator of the recent serial killings in Kamurocho, sometimes working alongside Kazuya Ayabe. While omnipresent throughout the majority of Judgment's events, Kuroiwa's links to the murders and his true allegiances form some of the narrative's biggest revelations. As the story progresses, Kuroiwa becomes one of the chief enemies of protagonist Takayuki Yagami. History Background Early police career As a junior police officer in the Tokyo Metropolitan Police Department, Kuroiwa was placed under an older partner who was a corrupt police detective with ties to the yakuza. His partner was considered one of the best informants in the underworld, and it was he mentored Kuroiwa. His mentor's actions were uncovered by another police officer, who exposed his corruption at some point prior to 1998. Kuroiwa's partner was arrested by officials and later committed suicide to avoid any further repercussions. Kurowia later murdered the snitch who betrayed his mentor, and staged it as a suicide. By 2018, Kuroiwa's partner was a man called Sakuraba. Informant and assassin With his mentor gone, Kuroiwa utilized everything he learnt from him to become a new informant. He became well-known for the quality and efficiency of his work, forging documents and selling weapons with ease. With this, he became one of the most highly-sought after informants in Kamurocho. One of Kuroiwa's associates was Kyohei Hamura, a member of the Tojo Clan's Matsugane Family. By 1998, Kuroiwa and Hamura struck a partnership, with Kuroiwa helping the yakuza member dispose yakuza victims. It was thanks to Kuroiwa's aid that Hamura later became the captain of the Matsugane Family, and he came to rely on Kuroiwa even more. In time, Kuroiwa became more open to actual elimination, and felt he was "ready" to take killing contracts. A couple of years after beginning their partnership, Kuroiwa suggested Hamura to start an assassination business, which Hamura reluctantly agreed due to its payment. Kuroiwa's reputation grew through Hamura's word-of-mouth. Circa June 2018, Kuroiwa and Hamura received their first contract, given by a man called Ishimatsu who offered them ten million yen for their trouble. Kuroiwa's target was a man called Toru Hashiki, vice-director of the Advanced Drug Development Center. Kuroiwa, clad in a black raincoat, beat Hashiki severely and left him to die from his injuries in a back alley. Making it look like a mere bar brawl gone wrong, Kuroiwa staged the murder as an accident and it was ruled out by the investigation. A few months later, Kuroiwa and Hamura were let in on the ADDC's AD-9 project. Instead of killing new targets, the two were payed to abduct members of the Kyorei Clan, a small invading organization from Kansai, and deliver them to the ADDC's researcher Yoji Shono. Afterwards, Kuroiwa was to dispose of the bodies. Events of Judgment Yakuza murders Encounters with Yagami Revelations Final confrontation Character Personality On the surface, Kuroiwa was a prideful, confident and calm man who rarely shows emotion beyond a few smug smiles, and he usually maintained a laid-back and relaxed demeanor when he dealt with situations he deemed under his control. He rarely raised his voice, and kept on a stoic expression when dealing with murder cases. Underneath his public persona, Kuroiwa was originally a strict and efficient assassin and hitman who gradually transformed into a vicious murderer who took glee at the ritualistic nature of his yakuza kidnappings. He was also a very condescending and obnoxious man who jovially spoke to both his associates and adversaries in a patronizing manner. He was very confident in his own abilities, though he kept himself quiet and precise when he worked under his guise as The Mole; when he was ordered to rescue Kido from the grip of Yagami's enemies, Kuroiwa approached Kaito and Higashi - two formidable foes in their own right - in a nonchalant manner, and upon defeating them with little effort, walked away with a smile on his face. He also taunted the former to challenge him alongside Yagami when the two men confronted him a few days later. A sadistic and remorseless killer, Kuroiwa showed no mercy to anyone and implied to have no regret over his killings. He was able to kill people without any second thoughts and callously executed a yakuza thug whom he used as a human shield. He also dismissed his actions due to the yakuza ties his targets had, and was quick to hunt for Hamura despite their history together. He was also willing to kill Shono in his final moments for the sake of it. It was implied that despite his disloyal nature, Kuroiwa might have held some respect for his first partner, who was the one to introduce Kuroiwa to the Japanese underworld in the first place. Both Hamura and Ayabe believed that Kuroiwa was responsible for killing a fellow officer who snitched on Kuriwa's partner. In spite of his calm and arrogant image, there were times when Kuroiwa's confidence broke, most notably during his confrontations with Yagami. During his interrogation of Yagami after murdering Matsugane, Kuroiwa displayed his own fears regarding the ADDC's reach. His first fight with Yagami was also the first time he found himself struggling against an opponent, going as far as to threaten the investigator with a gun. In the final hours of his life, Kuroiwa displayed a delusional view about himself and Shono, believing that the two of them would be written down as heroes despite their crimes becoming known to the public at the same time. When he realized he was cornered, Kuroiwa decided to try to and take Shono's life as a final insult at his enemies. In his final moments, he laughed upon realizing the true nature of his job for the ADDC. Physical appearance Gameplay Behind the scenes Kuroiwa was voiced by Japanese actor Shōsuke Tanihara, who also served as a model for the character. Kuroiwa was Tanihara's first role in a video game. In the English release of Judgment, Kuroiwa was voiced by Matthew Mercer. Trivia *Kuroiwa's leitmotif is called "Penumbra", and is played over the course of his two battles. Gallery Appearances *''Judgment'' **"Chapter 1: Three Blind Mice" **"Chapter **"[[Chapter 11: Curtain Call" **"Chapter 12: Behind Closed Doors" **"Final Chapter: Down Came The Rain" References Category:Characters in Judgment Category:Antagonists